‘续集’ literally means ‘continuing volume’ — ‘续’ (xù) means ‘to continue’ or ‘to follow up’, and ‘集’ (jí) means ‘volume’, ‘episode’, or ‘collection’. Together, they refer to a film, television series, book, or other work that continues the story of an earlier installment. It is most commonly used in entertainment contexts, especially when discussing movies, dramas, novels, or web series.

The word carries a neutral-to-positive connotation and implies narrative continuity rather than mere repetition. While ‘续集’ is standard in both spoken and written Chinese, it’s rarely used for non-narrative works (e.g., you wouldn’t call a second edition of a dictionary a ‘续集’). It often appears in marketing, reviews, and casual conversation — for example, asking whether a favorite show will get a ‘续集’ or debating whether a sequel lives up to the original.